KEY POINTS:
After a mixed year, much of the success of the Silver Ferns season hinges on this weekend's second and final test against Australia in Brisbane.
It will be New Zealand's last match of 2008 and, arguably, their most important as they look to finish off what has been
an up-and-down season on a high.
A win on Sunday will go a long way to restoring some respectability to their record - currently four wins, two losses - and keep the critics at bay until next year at least.
And with the carrot of a potential No 1 spot in the world rankings being dangled in front of them, Silver Ferns sharpshooter Irene van Dyk said her side are desperate to complete a 2-0 series win in Australia.
"We're unbelievably determined, we know what is at stake and we want to end the year on a high," she said. "We could actually be classified as the world number ones again if we win this game, so it is going to be a huge game for us."
It is not a given New Zealand will be elevated to the top of the rankings if they win this weekend, but it is important the Ferns continue to turn around their poor record against Australia in recent times.
With the young and largely inexperienced Australian side going through a rebuilding phase, all the pressure is on the Ferns to win.
Already hit hard by the retirement of three key players, Australia were forced to battle on all season without their two most experienced shooters in Sharelle McMahon and Catherine Cox.
With that in mind, Australian coach Norma Plummer would probably be quite chuffed if her side finished the year with a 2-2 record against the Silver Ferns, and a five-goal loss isn't a huge margin to turn around.
Australia were let down in their shooting end in the opening test, with the Diamonds putting up 57 shots at goal to the Silver Ferns 52.
After a confident start, goal-shoot Kate Beveridge and Susan Pratley appeared to go off the boil as the match wore on, with the latter replaced at goal-attack by Natalie Medhurst at halftime.
Plummer will be working hard to instill confidence back in her shooters and Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken knows her side can't rely on the Diamonds shooting end collapsing again.
"That's the real difficulty - we have to make sure that all other areas of our play improve, so that if Aussie's shooting improves, as we expect it to, it won't be an issue. We can't rely on them being average, because they are very good shooters and often it is a mental thing," said Aitken.
While the Ferns did well to overturn an eight-goal deficit at quartertime and storm to victory, the reality is it was still a very error-ridden performance from the New Zealand side with frequent miscommunications on attack.
The new midcourt combination of Laura Langman and Liana Barrett-Chase, who was introduced to the match at quartertime, still needs fine-tuning with both players caught running into the same space on several occasions.
Aitken said her side has focused a great deal on their attacking play through court in the lead-up to Sunday's match. She said the Ferns need to ensure they get the Diamonds in chase mode so they don't allow the home side the opportunity to set up their three-foot mark.
"We've got to find space to attack in," she said. "I think for us that is the real challenge, especially if we're small. We can't play in to pockets or think that we're going to hold them up. We've got to get free, so that we've got the Australians on our back."
With the Australians still reeling from the loss in the opening test, in which they let an eight-goal lead slip, the Kiwi side expect their opponents to come out firing in the second.
The Aussie camp are talking tough, with captain Mo'onia Gerrard vowing to make the Ferns pay.
New Zealand were caught off guard by the physicality of the Australians early on in the opening test, but can't afford to let the home side get a jump on them again.
Van Dyk, who copped a fair few knocks last weekend, said her side are steeled for a all-out battle.
"They are hurting and they will come out firing, I do think we are ready for that and we know they will come out more physical than normal, which we are definitely prepared for."
